Leap Motion taps former Apple iAd VP Andy Miller to be President and COO

Apple's former iAd VP (and Quattro co-founder) Andy Miller only just took a job as a general partner at Highland Capital last year after leaving the gang in Cupertino, but he's now already moving on to another fairly high profile gig. Leap Motion has announced today that Miller will become its new President and CEO COO, placing him in a central role at a company that's facing the rather difficult task of actually delivering the goods after wowing most everyone with its new gesture control technology. As Fortune notes, however, the move doesn't come as a complete surprise. Highland Capital is backing Leap, and Miller himself has reportedly been spending about 80 percent of his time on the company over the past few months. In a statement, Miller said that he's "been fortunate to work with some of the most influential figures and companies in the technology industry, and I'm as excited about the Leap as I've ever been about a technology," adding that the "potential for the Leap is limitless, as it is going to fundamentally change the way we interact with so many devices in our lives."

Update: Leap Motion has reached out and informed us that Miller will be President and COO, reporting to current CEO and co-founder Michael Buckwald. The official press release can be found after the break.

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Leap Motion Appoints Andy Miller President and COO

Former General Partner at Highland Capital Partners and Apple VP Joins Company Behind World's Most Accurate 3-D Motion Control Technology

SAN FRANCISCO – July 17, 2012 – Leap Motion, the motion-control software and hardware company changing the future of human/computer interaction, today announced the appointment of Andy Miller as President and Chief Operating Officer. Miller will join the makers of the world's most accurate 3-D motion control technology in August, reporting directly to CEO and co-founder Michael Buckwald. He will be responsible for guiding all aspects of the company's growth, including business development, growing the executive team and leading the development of the Leap application discovery store.

"Andy is a Silicon Valley visionary, and his breadth and depth of experience working in the mobile and digital media space will be invaluable as we continue to grow and bring the Leap to market," said Buckwald. "We have generated a tremendous amount of momentum since launching, and can't think of a better-equipped person to join us at this time and help continue to drive Leap Motion's growth and development."

Officially unveiled on May 21, the Leap immediately caught the attention and imagination of consumers, developers and media around the globe, spawning nearly overwhelming numbers of pre-orders and developer kit requests from over 150 countries. The "Introducing the Leap" video and other Leap demo videos have collectively been viewed more than 6 million times, and the official demo video has been featured by more than 350 news outlets around the world. Accurate to 1/100th of a millimeter, the Leap costs just $70 and can be pre-ordered at www.leapmotion.com for shipment in early 2013.

"I've been fortunate to work with some of the most influential figures and companies in the technology industry, and I'm as excited about the Leap as I've ever been about a technology," said Miller. "The potential for the Leap is limitless, as it is going to fundamentally change the way we interact with so many devices in our lives. I'm thrilled to come on board and looking forward to growing Leap Motion into the technology powerhouse it's on the road to becoming."

Miller recently served as General Partner at Highland Capital Partners, and previously reported directly to Steve Jobs as Vice President of Mobile Advertising at Apple Inc., where he led the iAd division, the mobile advertising network for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Miller was co-founder and CEO of Quattro Wireless, a mobile advertising company acquired by Apple in 2009. Prior to that, he oversaw business development, sales and strategy for what became North America's dominant mobile aggregator, m-Qube, which VeriSign acquired for $250 million in 2006.

Miller serves as an independent member on the board of directors of The Weather Channel Companies TWCC, and co-owns the Modesto Nuts, a Colorado Rockies Advanced Single A Franchise in the California League.

About Leap Motion Based in San Francisco, Leap Motion is a motion-control software and hardware company developing the world's most powerful and sensitive 3-D motion-control and motion-sensing technology. Leap Motion's first product, The Leap, will be available in early 2013. The Leap is 200 times more sensitive than existing motion-control technology, making it the first product to let users navigate and interact with computer applications using natural hand and finger movements. Founded in 2010 by Michael Buckwald and David Holz, the company has raised $14.55 million to date.